Maple Leaf Cottage Inn — Hotel in Elsah

This is our second stay at this charming Bed & Breakfast, the first being 3 years ago for our 20th wedding anniversary. We loved it so much, and I feel bad that I never got around to writing a review at that time! If you read no further than this, let me just say: Go to Maple Lead Cottage Inn! I’m going to get to the part about why it’s so great, but first:||Suffice it to say that it was special enough that we wanted to repeat the experience. Anyway, we’ve wanted to return all his time and finally got to earlier this month, and we loved every minute of our stay! ||You may think there’s not much to do this time of year (late Winter/not quite Spring) along The Great River Road except see a few soaring eagles over the cliffs and the river. Well, there’s that (we saw at least 10 eagles!) but you can also drive into Grafton to visit the interesting and quirky shops and eateries (we especially suggest “Knotty by Nature”, a really amazing wood shop and design studio/warehouse, which our hosts at the Maple Lead Cottage Inn told us to visit— we did and bought some excellent live-edge wood planks) or drive to Pere Marquette State Park further on for a hike or to visit the Lodge and have a meal. There’s more to do besides those, bitbinoffer those as highlights if you desire to venture away from the Inn. If you stay at the Inn and never leave Elsah Village the whole time you’re there, you will have the best time at this first-class B & B! I promise! As long as Deborah and Tim are running the Maple Leaf Cottage Inn, I guarantee you will be treated as if you are family, and you will leave feeling that you’ve made two new friends. Their hearts are big, their hospitality is uncommonly warm, their hearty breakfasts will keep you satisfied all day, and the loving touches that you experience all throughout your stay wil make you realize that other B & Bs just come up short on the warmth and welcome factors! ||For example, when we arrived, we had hot tea and lemon cake ready to greet us in the lovely dining room. In our “Garden Room” suite (one of several totally delightful room options) Deborah left us a small vase of fresh flowers and a sweet anniversary card with a handwritten note, knowing we’d returned on our anniversary. So kind! And the bed is soooo comfortable and the linens are luxurious! ||We Iove a bonfire! Not only did Deborah and Tim have fresh wood and kindling ready to go, but since the temperature was only in the 30s, Deb warmed blankets in the dryer and brought them out to us to get even cozier by the fire! Super thoughtful! And when we came in before dark, there was a thermal carafe of hot cocoa awaiting us on the table inside, plus fresh cookies. Yum!||As busy as they are, Deborah and Tim sit down to talk for as long as you want to! ||Just go to Maple Leaf Cottage Inn. If you have not tried or have not loved the B & B experience in the past for any reason, this one will change your mind about B & Bs! Really!||You never have to get in your car and go anywhere outside of Elsah Village because if you just want pure R & R that’s what you’ll get just by being at this B & B and walking around the village. It’s all totally charming and peaceful. Just Go! You’ll love Maple Lead Cottage Inn and historic Elsah Village. ||If you’re in Elsah on a Saturday, stop in at the “Look Factory”, and almost any day you can visit the Elsah General Store, the quaint history museum, and just take in all the history and nature that surrounds you.||Oh, yeah! Ask for Deborah’s country quiche (delish!) and Tim’s waffles (mouthwatering!) for breakfast...

Amongst the hustle and bustle of tourism and the noise of July 4, 2020, Robert and I found deeply snuggled within a most charming town called Elsah in S. Illinois. This town is reminiscent of a lost history going back to the 1800’s with local stores filled with handcrafted wood work, paintings, or handblown glassware. It remains rich with nature. Quite by accident we found the Maple Leaf Bed and Breakfast.  Each cottage is filled with antiquities, original photographs, hand sewn quilts, or newspaper articles from a particular place and time lending a theme and historical understanding of the era to the cottage. The proprietor, Deborah, catered to us like we were family making sure we had everything we needed or could possibly want to make our time there enjoyable and unlike any hotel however 5 star it boasted to be. Deb cooked hot, homemade breakfasts each morning and brought freshly baked desserts to our door in the evenings. Everything about the Maple Leaf is delightful and brings with it many nostalgic memories walking through the gardens or just sitting on the porch watching nature. The price was well within reason making it a ‘go to’ spot for a vacation or just for a night away and we plan on doing this every chance we get.  ...

Amongst the hustle and bustle of tourism and the noise of July 4, 2020, Robert and I found deeply snuggled within a most charming town called Elsah in S. Illinois. This town is reminiscent of a lost history going back to the 1800’s with local stores filled with handcrafted wood work, paintings, or handblown glassware. It remains rich with nature. Quite by accident we found the Maple Leaf Bed and Breakfast.  Each cottage is filled with antiquities, original photographs, hand sewn quilts, or newspaper articles from a particular place and time lending a theme and historical understanding of the era to the cottage. The proprietor, Deborah, catered to us like we were family making sure we had everything we needed or could possibly want to make our time there enjoyable and unlike any hotel however 5 star it boasted to be. Deb cooked hot, homemade breakfasts each morning and brought freshly baked desserts to our door in the evenings. Everything about the Maple Leaf is delightful and brings with it many nostalgic memories walking through the gardens or just sitting on the porch watching nature. The price was well within reason making it a ‘go to’ spot for a vacation or just for a night away and we plan on doing this every chance we get.  ...